Jan. 31, 1903.1 
The English Oyster Scare/' 
To the Fordst, Fish and Game CommissioH: 
Gektlemrn— The death of the Dean of Winchester 
from typhoid fevet, in England, has evoked widespread 
SA'mpathy throughout the United Kingdom and in the 
United States, and the unfortunate circumstandes attend- 
ing his last iihiess have engendered a sensational state of 
public alarm, which is alluded to in the English press as 
"The Oyster Scare." 
The assertion is made th.at the typhoid bacilli were, in 
this case, conveyed by oysters eaten at a Lord Maj^or's 
banquet given in London, and in consequence the Eng- 
lish oyster trade has been well nigh prostrated. 
It should be noted that the oysters used at the banquet 
in question xCtTc not Amerkmi oysters, but were taken, 
it is stated, from beds located in "the south of England, 
and it is charged that over some of these beds "an outfall 
of sewage has been permitted to llow." 
Whether oj^stei'S are ever the medium of distributiou of 
t3'phoid germs is of Course a question for medical men to 
determine. It is claimed by some authorities that the 
connection between typhoid and the oyster has never been 
scientifically cstabHshed, Our chief" duty and interest, 
however, is to thoroughly inform ourselves and the pub- 
lic concerning the purity of the sources of the oyster sup- 
ply of our domestic and export markets, 
On the third instant I received from the Forest, Fish 
and Game Commission a letter requesting that some 
guarantee of the wholesome character of the Blue Point 
and East River oysters be sent to the commission for the 
information of the Governor of New York State, that the 
Governor might communicate with the Secretary of State 
at Washington in order that the representatives of the 
United States Government abroad might have the proper 
assurances of the freedom of New York oysters from 
contaniination. Upon the same day I forwarded to the 
commission certificates as follows : 
This will certify that the oysters known in the trade as "East 
Rivers" are taken from beds situated in Long Island Sound, an 
important arm of the sea extending for 120 miles between the 
south coast of the State of Connecticut and Long Island, in the 
State of New York, its greatest width being about twenty miles, 
narrowing to about two miles at its western extremity; averaging 
about twelve miles wide. These beds are remote from any pos- 
sible contamination by sewage or otherwise, many of them being 
at a depth of sixty feet under pure sea water. 
Dated New York, Jan. 3, 1903. 
B. Frank Wood, 
State Superintendent of Shell Fisheries. 
This will certify that the oysters known in the trade as "Blue 
Points" are taken from beds located in Great South Bay, a great 
expanse of salt water lying along the south shore of Long Island 
in New York State, and with its extensions, known as Moriches 
Bay and Shinnecock Bay, having a total length of about sixty 
miles. These bays are from two to six miles wide, and separated 
from the Atlantic Ocean by narrow strips of sand beach, through 
which are many inlets, allowing the ocean tides to regularly ebb 
and flow. The oyster beds are at an average distance of about 
two miles from shore. The south shore of Long Island is sparsely 
settled, and there is no possibility of sewage or other contamina- 
tion. 
Dated New York, Jan. 3, 1903. 
B. Fbank Wood, 
State Superintendent of Shell Fisheries. 
1 immediately requested Mr. John E. Overton, one of 
the State oyster protectors, to interview some of our 
leading physicians, particularly those residing near our 
oyster grounds, upon the subject, that I might have their 
views. The letters which follow speak for theuiselves. 
New York State Department of Health, 
Daniel Lewis, M.D., Commissioner. 
Albany, Jan. 10, 1903. 
Mr. B. Frank Wood, Superintendent of Shell Fisheries, 1 Madison 
avenue, City: 
My Dear Sir— Since I have been connected with the State De- 
partment of HeaUh, first, as president, and recently, as commis- 
sioner in charge of the department, no case of typhoid fever has 
been reported "to the department in which the cause of the disease 
was attributed to the eating of oysters. 
In my private practice, where 1 have seen many cases, and in 
patients who habitually used oysters as an article of diet, I have 
never met a case in which I had the slightest suspicioir that the 
infection had been communicated through diseased oysters. The 
legitimate inference, from my experience as a health officer, 39 
well as in private practice, is that the infection of oysters by 
typhoid germs is practically unknown in this city and State. And 
it is my opinion that there is no danger of contracting typhoid 
from the free use of the oyster as a food. Any suggestion to the 
contrary is a mere speculation, unsubstantiated and unworthy of 
serious consideration. Very truly yovirs, 
Daniel Lewis, Commissioner. 
From the neighborhood of the Blue Point beds come 
the following letters : 
Patchogue, N. Y., Jan. 8, 1903. 
This is to say that I have been in active practice among the 
residents and oystermcn along the shores of Great .South Bay dur- 
ing the past seventeen years. Oysters constitute the principal 
3iieat diet during the season of many of these people, and they 
are as free from contagious diseases as any people upon the earth. 
The oysters taken from the bay are absolutely pure and free from 
any germs of disease. 
W. S. Bennett, M.D. 
In regard to the possible contamination of Great South Bay 
oysters with typhoid germs I write to say that I have never known 
of a case of t^-phoid fever which seemed to be caused by eating 
oysters from Great South Bay. 
Arthur H. Terry, M.D. 
I wish to add my testimony to show how groundless is the 
English fear of typhoid fever ccnning from Blue Point oysters. In 
the first place, the south side of Long Island is exceptionally free 
from typhoid fever and all other infectious diseases. This can be 
verified by the State Health Board. Secondly, the infection of 
oysters from typhoid cases is almost impossible, for almost no 
sewers at all empty into the bay, and the few that do so, are from 
single and detached houses. Thirdly, we folks all eat oysters in 
all forms, and I am sure that no more typhoid is found during 
the oyster season than at other times during the year. As to this 
point, I am emphatic. 
Trusting that the prejudice against the product of which we are 
the most proud may soon be removed, I am, yours truly, 
Frank Overton, M.D. 
Health Officer of Patchoguc Village. 
From the north shore of Long Island, along which are 
cultivated the East River oysters, we have the certificates 
of James E. Gildersleeve, M.D., a practitioner for fifty 
years; J. A. Dildine, M.D., practicing ten years, and D. 
F. Many, M.D., who has practiced for fifteen years, who 
imite in saying that they have never known of a case of 
typhoid fever which could be traced to eating oysters. 
Wm. E. Sylvester, M.D., who is in the service of tlie 
State, and connected with the shellfish office, writes : 
Hon B. Frank Wood. 1 Madison avenue. City: 
My Dear Sir — Relative to the contamination of oysters, I will 
saj' that, after a long and extensive experience among people where 
it was an important article of diet, I have never seen a case of 
typhoid fever resulting therefrom, From a personal knowledge of 
the oyster industry about New York, I am satisfied that no oysters 
obtainable are freer from objectionable influences than these. 
Yours, very truly, 
WJt. E. SyjuVester, M,D. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
' In i8g6 a very careful examination was made in Eng- 
land by Professors Herdman and Boyce, of University 
College, who were furnished with oysters from almost 
every bed in the Uuited Kingdom, on the Continent, and 
also in America, Not a single case was found in which 
there wa.s anything in the oysters injurious to health. 
One of their tests was to inject typhoid germs into oys- 
ters which were then placed in salt water. The germs 
gradually disappeared, and in the course of a few days 
the oysters were clear of them. As a more severe test, 
oj'Sters were placed at the mouth of a drain which con- 
nected with a dwelling in which at the time were typhoid 
fever patients, and the oysters were afterward found to 
be free from the slightest infection," 
Clear sea water is a well-known purifier, and it seems 
to have been demonstrated that in it disease germs can- 
not long exist. 
A considerable portion of the supply of good and 
wholesome food for our immense urban population, and 
much for export, is taken from the clear sea water sur- 
rounding Long Island and from Raritan Bay at Staten 
Island, and any suspicion concerning its purity is with- 
out reason or foundation. 
NcAv York, Jan. 10, 1903. 
B. Frank Wood, 
State Superintendent of Shellfisheries. 
— ^ — 
Fl^tares. 
Feb. 11-14.— New York.—IVenty-seventh annual show of the 
VV estmmsler Kennel Club. James Mortimer, Supt. 
Feb. lS-21.— Newark, N. J.— Show of New Jersey Kennel Asso- 
ciation. C. G. Hopfon, Sec'y- 
Feb. 20-21.— Denver, Colo.— Bench show of Colorado Kennel 
Club. 
Feb. 23-26.— Boston, Mass.— New England Kennel Club's nine- 
teenth annual show. W. B. Emery, Sec'v. 
March 4-7.— PiUsburg, Pa.— Show" of Duquesne Kennel Club, of 
\A cstern Pennsvl vania. 
March 10-13.— Rochester, N. Y.— Show of Rochester Kennel Club. 
Mnrch 12-14.— Coshocton, O.— Show of Coshocton Kennel Club. 
March 17-20.— Uhrichsville, O.— Show of Twin City Kennel Club. 
March 2o-2S.— Chicago.— Show of Chicago Kennel Club. 
March 30-31.— St. Louis.— Show of St. Louis Collie Club. 
March 31-April 3.— Buffalo, N. Y.— Show of Buffalo Kennel Club. 
April 1-4.— New Orleans, La.— Show of Southwestern Kennel 
Club. 
April 1-4.— Victoria, B. C— Show of Victoria Kennel Club. 
April 8-11.— Atlantic City, N. J.— Show of Atlantic City Kennel 
Club. 
May 29-30.— Hempstead, L. I.— Open air show of Ladies' Kennel 
Association of America. 
Nov. 3-G.— New York.— Annual show of Ladies' Kennel Associa- 
tion of America. 
National Beagle Cltjb of America. 
National Beagle Club of America, Camden, N. J. — 
The regular quarterly meeting of this club will be held 
on Wednesday, Feb. it, at 8:30 P. M., in the cafe at 
the southwest corner of Madison Aveiuie and 27th 
Street. New York City, at which time any and all 
business will be transacted which shall be brought 
before the meeting. By order of the president. Dated 
Jan. 22, 1903. 
Chas. R. Stevenson, 
Secretary. 
Points and FItishes. 
The annual meeting of the American Fox Terrier 
CI ub will be held at Madison Square Garden, on Feb. 
II, immediately after the fox terriers are judged. A 
meeting of the executive committee will follow imme- 
diately after the club meeting. 
— <$> — 
Southern Y. C. 
New Orleans, La., Jan. j8.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The Southern Y. C, of New Orleans, La., has 
adopted a new racing measurement rule which may be 
interesting to yachtsmen in other sections of the country. 
The formula being 85 per cent, of the square root of the 
sail area (as measured by the Seawanhaka Y. C. rule) 
equals the racing ra ting measurement ; or, 
VS AX 85 = Rating. 
The club has used the old Seawanhaka rule for years 
and it has gone very slow about making a change, pre- 
ferring to wait and watch results in the North and to 
profit, if possible, thereby, the state of affairs here per- 
mitting this, as its fleet of racers had not been modernized 
to any great extent. Now that the leading clubs have 
made ilieir changes iji measurement rules none seem to fit 
the requirements in this part of the yachting world. Any 
rule requiring displacement calculations or girth measure- 
ments, while very weh In their way, were considered too 
complicated, or at least not practical along this coast. 
As the tendency of the times would seem to show that 
measurement rules were getting more and moi-e com- 
plicated, the latest introduced requiring that a vessel be 
hauled out to be measured for rating, and that the idea 
was to penalize a certain form of freak that probably 
never would have been introduced had it not been created 
to cheat a measurement rule, in this case the waterline 
part of the rule, the question arises, Why measure and 
tax^the hull at ah? 
Forly or fifty years ago the Southern Y. C. used a 
rule that called for measuring the length on deck only, 
and the result was that yachts were encouraged that were 
monstrosities, longer on the waterline than on deck, with 
"ram" bows and sterns much the same shape, the cele- 
brated "Stingaree" being a well-remembered example. In 
later days in taxing the waterline another form of freak 
is encouraged with the "overhangs" in the air and with 
a dift'erent set of reverse curves at the waterline. Why 
now adopt a rule with some other hull measurements 
Jiist to penalize this latter style of boat and perhaps, as 
was the result in both cases mentioned, encourage as 
bad freaks along some other lines? 
When the waterline rule was evolved it was thought to 
be a perfect one, biit in the light of present practices it is 
9B 
clear that it might have been better had 1. w. 1. never been 
taxed as it was— that it should not be discouraged at all. 
It is clear that we must have a new rule for measure- 
ment that does not place a premium on waterline, and a 
displacement rule is out of the question when we consider 
the fleet we arc dealing with and the conditions under 
which we race. Therefore it is evident that there is 
nothing left of the hull to measure that we see can give 
promise of better things. So we will answer the fore- 
going question and not measure it at all. It is not even 
necessary to measure it for classification, and hence mat- 
ters are more than ever simplified and that bugaboo of 
whether to measure with crew on board or not is escaped. 
But account must be taken of the size of some element of 
a craft for the sake of classification and rating for time 
allowance, the latter only until all building is up to class- 
limits, as the allowance rule should encourage. As the 
sails can't be "freaked," "scowed," nor inflicted with 
overhangs to cheat the system of measurement, they will 
be used alone for measurement. 
The present simple rule for ascertaining the sail area 
will be used and as before the square root of the area 
will be taken. The result on the average yacht would be 
a figure considerably larger than that obtained by getting 
the racing length by the Seawanhaka method, so 85 per 
cent, of the square root of the sail area will be taken, 
which will reduce the figure down to somewhere between 
the boat's waterline and the racing length as found by- 
the old formula, thereby afTording a better indication of 
the yacht's size in the figure of the rating. 
These ideas were advanced by the writer and they meet 
with the approval of the members of the club, the regatta 
conunittee taking the initiative and indorsing the rule, 
and after being duly considered and discussed it was 
unanimously adopted. There was no intention to place 
a tax on sail, but that a certain proportion of it sliould 
serve as a limit for the various class sizes. To this end it 
was desired that the time allowance should be in favor 
of the larger boat and building to class limits would be 
encouraged by every means. The Herreshoff time allow- 
ance tables were considered too complicated, and after 
nutch figuring on the boats in the fleet and their past per- 
formances and not forgetting those that might be built, 
an arbitrary limit of five seconds per foot difference per 
mile of course was suggested by Measurer Holmes Har- 
rison, of the club, and adopted. Later, if found desirable,, 
this figure of 5 seconds can be altered to suit different 
classes ; as, for instance, if it is found that the proportion 
.should be smaller for the larger and larger for the 
smaller classes, as is indicated in the Llerreshoff allow- 
ance tables. Without being proven in practice, five 
seconds seems to be a reasonabl}^ good proportion for the 
classes we have to deal with. 
Simplification was the desideratum desired in both the 
rating rule formula and the time allowance method, and 
if they prove reasonably adequate matters will be made 
easier for the regatta committee and the measurer, and 
owners will be enabled to more readily know the stand- 
ing of their yachts, one to another. 
There is nothing in the meastiremcnt rule to put a 
check on the scow, that not being necessary nor desired, 
as they are relegated to classes by themselves, where no 
restriction is placed on design. The scow classes will be 
encouraged equally with the model classes and trust 
placed in the survival of the fittest. It is believed -that 
with this arrangement there will be few cabin scows and 
that the open boats of this style will run, as at present, 
to small sizes, say under 25 feet measurement, where they 
give excellent sport. 
In connection with the preceding rules quoted it will 
be interesting to know what are the classes and what 
comprises the cabin yacht rule of the Southern Y. C, so 
both are herewith appended : 
FROM THE RACING RULES SOUTHERN Y. C. — CLASSIFICATION 
SEASON OF 1903, BASED ON RACING RATING. 
Model Yachts. 
Class A — Schooners. 
Class B — Cabin sloops 30ft. and over. 
Class C — Cabin sloops under 30ft. 
Class D — Open sloops. 
Class E — Cat boats. 
Class F — Motor and steam launches. 
Special Classes of Different Types.— Including freaks, 
scows, skiffs, and other racing machines. The allotment 
of a yacht to either the Model or Special Classes shall 
be decided by the Regatta Committee. A Model boat 
may, however, sail in one of the Special Classes if she so 
desires. 
Class G — Cabin sloops. 
Class H. — Open sloops. 
Class I — Cat boats. 
Crews— There shall be no restriction, except that the 
helmsman must be an amateur. 
Course— To be ten miles; over an equilateral triangle 
oi five miles, twice around. 
Definition of a Cabin Yacht— .A. cabin yacht must be a 
seaworthy type of cruising or racing j'acht, substantially 
constructed, with ballast on keel or fixed below the floor, 
ir any is carried, with either a flush deck or with cabin 
trunk on deck. A cabin j'acht must not carry shifting 
ballast. " 
The only exceptions to the following limitations shall 
be yachts over 20ft. racing length that have sailed as 
.c?bni yachts in a regular Southern Y. C. race prior to 
April 3, 1902, provided the cabin is the same as before 
used, and if the sides and front of it are not closed in 
solidly, she must carry curtains and have same strapped 
down. 
1. The top, sides and ends of cabin trunk must be per- 
manently constritcted and closed in with wood, with 
proper windows or port lights and regulation entrance. 
Cabins must not be less than 7ft. long on top and have 
a width of floor space not less than one-fourth the 
greatest beam of yacht. 
2. The cockpit floor shall be above the waterline with 
scuppers draining outward. The top of sill of cabin en- 
trance door must be not less than Sin. above the cockpit 
floor line. 
3. The minimum size of cabin interior must be such as 
will accommodate two berths 6ft. 6in. long by ift 6in 
Avide, which must be in place. The height of the cabin 
house m the clear, from the floor line to the under side of 
cabin top beams, over full area of cabin required, must be 
not less than 3ft. 6in. for yachts under 30ft. rating, an4 
